Windows 10: Downgrade from Windows 10 to 8.1

Since 10 sucks with no sign of improvement (screwed up theme, updates, constant high latency which screws up audio playback and using the tuner card) I want to downgrade to 8.1. How can I do that with keeping most settings/customisation?

:)

 

Downgrade from Windows 10

I want to downgrade from windows 10 back to windows 8.1 but my computer offers a downgrade to windows 7. How can I downgrade back to windows 8.1 not windows 7? I never had windows 7. I only had windows 8.1

 

Reinstalling Windows 8.1

How are you performing the installation, from within Windows 10 or booting from the Windows 8.1 disc?

See:

How to Downgrade Windows 10 to Windows 7/8.1

 

Windows 10 doesn't suck, for the record. It sounds like you are having issues with your setup. If it was Windows 10 at fault, we'd all be having issues.

Given the fact you are having some random issues, have you tried a clean install? Those can solve most of these issues, and allow your computer to run at it's best.

 

If w10 wasn't at fault, the same hardware with the same drivers would work fine. It doesn't. (Naturally I upgraded the only driver - GPU - that actually needed upgrading because of API changes.) Regardless it brings nothing useful as far as I see. Just problems.
Clean install never worked for me, for anything. Maybe because I don't have trash running constantly on my system. Anyway that's what I want to avoid right now. (Only for 8.1)

Anyway, we digress. What I'm interested in is how to downgrade with minimal losses.

 

Windows 10 - Go Back to Previous Windows - Windows 10 Forums

 

@avada
Windows 8 is a perfectly fine operating system, and there is nothing wrong with going back to it. But new OSes will sometimes have bugs that need to be worked out. There will be many updates in the future, but it will take time and patience. But again, your choice in OS is entirely up to you, and no pressure from this end to upgrade.

Not trying to argue, but still wanting to shed some light: the same drivers for different OSes is not the best idea, even if they're from Microsoft. To get the best out of your machine, you want your OS specific drivers from your computer/motherboard manufacturer. It's almost a religious statement from me because I believe in it so much. With the right drivers, you will get the right operation. Anything less is not worth the upgrade process.

Besides that, a good code or two to live by: 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks', and similarly - You (usually) shouldn't install new technology to older machines. Old, however, may be relative to the capabilities of the hardware of the computer.

 

How do you explain the fact that 90% of the upgrades have gone through seamlessly? Anytime you switch to a bleeding edge OS, you may encounter some issues, bust almost always they can be worked through. Some choose to give up and roll back, while others work through them, leading to forums like this and their massive tutorials. You only upgraded one driver, so others may have needed to be upgraded, too. You also are missing the point of a clean install in this case, as it has nothing to do with "trash" running on a computer.

 

Thanks, but those are not options for me. I already removed installation files.

My mobo manufacturer stopped updating drivers years ago, so that's not an option.
The drivers (outside GPU) should work because there were no changes in the driver API. (as far as I know)
Anyway I updated whatever possible, but it didn't help.
That, old dog saying doesn't apply here at all. With software upgrades new features or increased performance is achieved all the time.

 

That being the case, if you don't have a backup you'll have to clean install if you want to go back to 8.1.

The only way I can think to transfer (some) settings is to sync your settings using a MS account - Sync Settings - Turn On or Off in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums It isn't going to sync that much though - just themes, passwords and so on.

 

Then you will often have to go the manufacturer's of the parts, instead. For example, if the board is an Intel chipset, get all of those drivers right from Intel. If it has a Realtek ethernet controller, get that right from Realtek, etc.

 

It seems so.

Did those things. Intel is not big on updating drivers, I updated the realtek LAN (I have the integrated soundcard disabled)

 

Can't I use something like this? How to download the official Microsoft Windows 8.1 ISO - CNET
Most settings/customizations should be comptible with win8.1.

 

I am not sure why you are now updating drivers in Windows 10 while you say that you already know that you want to go back to Windows 8.1.

Since you have removed your downgrade files and if you do not have a backup, then there still are two possibilities:
- Put the PC back to the state, which the manufacturer provided it in. That may be done with a recovery partition on your harddisk (if you have not also deleted that one) or with some other kind of recovery media like a set of DVDs, which the manufacturer provided or which you created with what the manufacturer provided. This will set your PC back to what it has been when you bought it; when that was a few years ago, then to the state from a few years ago. But it will leave all the preinstalled drivers and so in tact.
- The final possibility is to download a Windows 8.1 ISO image from Microsoft and to install Windows 8.1 from scratch. After that process, you will most likely have to check the different websites of your PC manufacturer and of the manufacturers of the included hardware to get and install fitting drivers again.

 

How to download and clean install Windows 8.1 -> link